journal article·2026-03

Chemically Recyclable Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites with Ultrafast Degradation Rate via an Epoxy Monomer Bearing Four Acetal Groups

Qian Li, Shunbing Cai, Zhenghuai Feng, Lianbing Zhong, Lin Zhang, Baineng Zhou, Zhanhua Wang, Hesheng Xia

Advanced Functional Materials· Volume 36· Issue 24
Publisher page

Abstract

Abstract Epoxy resins represent a cornerstone of high‐performance materials due to their outstanding thermal and mechanical properties. However, the irreversible covalently crosslinked architecture of conventional epoxy thermosets poses significant challenges for chemical recycling and circular utilization. Herein, acid‐activatable rigid spiro diacetal and acetal are incorporated into one epoxy monomer by fully exploiting both the hydroxyl and aldehyde functionalities of vanillin. This design combines excellent mechanical performance with controllable depolymerization of the cured epoxy resin network, allowing full recovery of vanillin, pentaerythritol, and defined polyols for direct monomer regeneration and upcycling into high‐resilience polyurethanes. The optimized resins cured with 1,3‐Bis(aminomethyl)benzene (MXDA), affording a tensile strength of 126.4 MPa, a Young's modulus of 2.9 GPa, can be fully degraded in 0.1 M HCl for 69 min at 50 °C or 110 min at room temperature. Furthermore, carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite fabricated from the degradable epoxy monomer is fully recyclable without fiber damaging, enabling sustainable and circular life cycles for advanced composite materials. This work offers a versatile and scalable strategy for designing high‐performance thermosetting systems with integrated degradability and full material circularity.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Polymer composites and self-healing · Epoxy Resin Curing Processes · Carbon dioxide utilization in catalysis

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

State Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymer Materials Polymer Research Institute Sichuan University Chengdu 610065 China

Sichuan Dongshu New Material Co., Ltd. Deyang 618000 China

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China

References (64)

Show source-provided references
1. 10.1016/j.polymertesting.2021.10742010.1016/j.polymertesting.2021.107420 ↗
2. 10.1039/C9GC01760G10.1039/C9GC01760G ↗
3. 10.1016/j.compositesb.2020.10805310.1016/j.compositesb.2020.108053 ↗
4. 10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2020.10135310.1016/j.progpolymsci.2020.101353 ↗
5. 10.1039/D0GC01250E10.1039/D0GC01250E ↗
6. 10.1126/science.121264810.1126/science.1212648 ↗
7. 10.1016/j.compositesa.2005.05.03010.1016/j.compositesa.2005.05.030 ↗
8. 10.1126/sciadv.170078210.1126/sciadv.1700782 ↗
9. 10.3390/ma1103035310.3390/ma11030353 ↗
10. 10.3390/jcs503008610.3390/jcs5030086 ↗
11. 10.1038/s41586-023-05944-610.1038/s41586-023-05944-6 ↗
12. 10.1016/S1872-5805(22)60652-810.1016/S1872-5805(22)60652-8 ↗
13. 10.1016/j.mattod.2022.12.00510.1016/j.mattod.2022.12.005 ↗
14. 10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2015.04.01610.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2015.04.016 ↗
15. 10.1002/pol.1962.120561640810.1002/pol.1962.1205616408 ↗
16. 10.1021/sc500174m10.1021/sc500174m ↗
17. 10.1002/adfm.20160205610.1002/adfm.201602056 ↗
18. 10.1016/j.compscitech.2008.10.00710.1016/j.compscitech.2008.10.007 ↗
19. 10.1039/C4GC02512A10.1039/C4GC02512A ↗
20. Liu T. · Macromol. Rapid Commun. · 2022 · 43
21. 10.1002/adma.20230080210.1002/adma.202300802 ↗
22. 10.1002/adma.20160610010.1002/adma.201606100 ↗
23. 10.1021/jacs.9b0792210.1021/jacs.9b07922 ↗
24. 10.1002/marc.20240067810.1002/marc.202400678 ↗
25. 10.1002/anie.20240896910.1002/anie.202408969 ↗
26. 10.1039/D3CS00713H10.1039/D3CS00713H ↗
27. 10.1039/C7GC01496A10.1039/C7GC01496A ↗
28. 10.1021/acssuschemeng.3c0076110.1021/acssuschemeng.3c00761 ↗
29. 10.1016/j.cej.2020.12659810.1016/j.cej.2020.126598 ↗
30. 10.1039/D3MA00464C10.1039/D3MA00464C ↗
31. 10.1021/acs.macromol.9b0200610.1021/acs.macromol.9b02006 ↗
32. 10.1016/j.compositesb.2023.11067710.1016/j.compositesb.2023.110677 ↗
33. 10.1002/asia.20230037310.1002/asia.202300373 ↗
34. 10.1021/acs.macromol.8b0197610.1021/acs.macromol.8b01976 ↗
35. 10.1002/adfm.20240829910.1002/adfm.202408299 ↗
36. 10.1002/pola.2757510.1002/pola.27575 ↗
37. 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2024.11314110.1016/j.eurpolymj.2024.113141 ↗
38. 10.1039/D3GC01671D10.1039/D3GC01671D ↗
39. Cui C. · Adv. Funct. Mater. · 2024 · 34
40. 10.1021/jacs.1c1035910.1021/jacs.1c10359 ↗
41. 10.1021/acs.iecr.4c0268510.1021/acs.iecr.4c02685 ↗
42. 10.1021/acsapm.3c0065810.1021/acsapm.3c00658 ↗
43. 10.1016/j.polymer.2023.12656510.1016/j.polymer.2023.126565 ↗
44. 10.31635/ccschem.023.20230340210.31635/ccschem.023.202303402 ↗
45. 10.1021/acs.iecr.3c0285410.1021/acs.iecr.3c02854 ↗
46. 10.1039/C5GC01319D10.1039/C5GC01319D ↗
47. 10.1039/C8TA07140C10.1039/C8TA07140C ↗
48. 10.1016/j.polymer.2023.12656110.1016/j.polymer.2023.126561 ↗
49. 10.1039/D3LP00095H10.1039/D3LP00095H ↗
50. 10.1016/j.polymer.2024.12728010.1016/j.polymer.2024.127280 ↗
51. 10.1039/D1TA07758A10.1039/D1TA07758A ↗
52. 10.1016/j.compscitech.2021.10924310.1016/j.compscitech.2021.109243 ↗
53. 10.1002/pola.2757510.1002/pola.27575 ↗
54. 10.1002/pola.2616010.1002/pola.26160 ↗
55. 10.1038/s41428-019-0202-710.1038/s41428-019-0202-7 ↗
56. 10.1021/acs.macromol.3c0041110.1021/acs.macromol.3c00411 ↗
57. 10.1021/jacs.5b1252810.1021/jacs.5b12528 ↗
58. 10.1021/jacs.6b1118110.1021/jacs.6b11181 ↗
59. 10.1016/j.msea.2007.01.03610.1016/j.msea.2007.01.036 ↗
60. 10.1039/D4PY01038H10.1039/D4PY01038H ↗
61. 10.1038/s41428-021-00585-w10.1038/s41428-021-00585-w ↗
62. 10.1039/C9GC04020J10.1039/C9GC04020J ↗
63. 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2019.05.02810.1016/j.eurpolymj.2019.05.028 ↗
64. 10.1016/j.polymertesting.2022.10786110.1016/j.polymertesting.2022.107861 ↗